West Pokot , Kenya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than 13 years after his parents drowned in a flash flood , David Kakuko is at the Moruny River , building a bridge that might have prevented their deaths .

The hanging footbridge will provide safe passage over the Moruny , a frequently flooded waterway in West Pokot , Kenya .

`` Before the bridge , there -LSB- were -RSB- so many people , so many who lost their lives , '' said Kakuko , 32 . `` I know , because I have no parents . I have no parents , because this river took them . ''

Kakuko is working alongside other local residents and Harmon Parker , a master mason who has been building bridges through Kenya 's mountainous terrain since 1997 .

Parker , a Lexington , Kentucky , native who came to Kenya in 1989 , has seen firsthand how flash floods -- and the threat of predators such as crocodiles and hippos -- can make rivers impassable in isolated communities .

`` I 've worked all over Kenya , '' said Parker , 54 . `` And every community -LSB- has -RSB- a story of ... loved ones lost . ''

When Parker arrived in Kenya as a young missionary , he befriended Jay Hindson , a fellow development worker who introduced him to a bridge build in 1996 . The experience changed the course of his life .

`` It was a plea from the community , '' Parker recalled . `` I saw that building a bridge could change lives and transform communities . ''

Parker has been building bridges ever since , and in 2003 he founded the nonprofit organization Bridging the Gap . The organization oversees the building of bridges that not only save lives but connect isolated villagers to resources that can improve their way of life .

`` When it floods , people really suffer not being able to get to the clinic or the market or to their school , '' Parker said . `` Like every people , they have dreams . They want to prosper . ''

Since 1997 , Parker has helped build 45 bridges in Kenya . He estimates they 've affected tens of thousands of lives , but he insists his work is not about the numbers .

`` I have built many bridges in very remote areas for the ` few and the needy ' that a larger organization may not consider , '' he said . `` Knowing this bridge will probably save at least one life is what makes me tick . ... I build bridges because I want to save lives , lives that I will never know about . ''

Parker 's hanging footbridges are simple in design , with an average length of 120 feet and an average cost of about $ 6,000 . They are built using basic materials and local tools so villagers can maintain them and make repairs when needed .

There is high demand for Parker 's help . But because of limited financing , he is able to organize only five or six projects a year .

To determine which projects he takes on , Parker visits the village that initiated the request . To qualify for a bridge , the river in question must be considered a peril to cross . It also has to inhibit access to education , health care or commerce .

Parker also requires that the community demonstrate a willingness and ability to participate in the construction of the bridge , whether it 's by gathering sand , making gravel or digging foundations .

It 's `` so they can take pride in their bridge , so that they feel they played a big role in it and that they have ownership , '' Parker said .

Kakuko has no problem with making that commitment .

`` It is good for us , because this is our bridge , '' he said . `` It is not for the men who gave it to us . It is ours . So people should guard and watch over it like it is their own . ''

Although the bridges are sponsored by donors , villagers are also expected to provide some form of financial contribution .

`` I do n't know how many goats I have in this region . But they always give me a goat , '' Parker said . `` I was even offered a young wife in a real rural area . And I had to refuse that . ''

Parker 's work requires that he spend weeks , even months at a time away from his wife and home in Nairobi . And over the past 15 years , he 's been robbed at gunpoint , plagued by parasites and afflicted with grave illnesses such as malaria and dengue fever . But he does n't see his role as sacrificial .

`` I feel I 'm blessed ... privileged to do what I 'm doing , '' he said . `` A bridge is a beautiful metaphor for many things . There are bridges of hope , bridges of peace , bridges of life . To me , bridges are beautiful . ''

Want to get involved ? Check out the Bridging the Gap website at www.bridgingthegapafrica.org and see how to help .

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Harmon Parker 's nonprofit group helps Kenyans build footbridges over perilous rivers

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The bridges not only save lives ; they connect people to schools , markets and health care

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Parker came to Kenya in 1989 as a young missionary with masonry skills

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Because of limited financing , he is able to organize only five or six bridge projects a year